M14 Forum

54321

This^

Swamp Rat

Can afford. That's the rub.

Swamp Rat

That too. Once a week I had to go to the landfill to check for classified items carelessly dumped. The Camp Leatherneck burn pit was right there and I'd get nice fresh lung full of the smoke.

hammer 1

I remember when we got back from Destert Storm, some of the ailments were unexplainable. My one buddy got his wife pregnant when we got back, the little girl was born with severe birth defects. She eventually succumbed too, them, 2 years later, they had another child that was healthy. Chronic headaches, dizziness, other issues, what does the govt due? Register you on a data base for " Saudi Syndrome", but no one could explain what it was. The little white pill we had to take daily, they dont know the effects of it. Hope you guys are good to go.

BDH

Exposure is an issue, but unfortunatly not ratable. Exposure should be documented. Many service medical records have "reports" on burn pits, but there still isn't enough documenting by medical departments before you exit the military. I review medical records for separating military and so far the best documentation is by the Army. Army and Airforce tell you what you are exposed to, where Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard have a form in their SMRs where the service member can document their own exposure.

Down the road, you would need what's called a "nexus" letter from a physician to connect the old with the new. Use a specialist. The VA will trot out theirs so you might as well start out at the top of the medical food chain. You will need to also show there were burn pits where you were. Also, how long were you there? Although not as valuable as medical evidence, lay statements or first person accounts of the atmosphere, pits or whatever from other vets who were there may be a bit helpful. On their own, they are usually of little value. Don't rely solely on them. You may want to try Freedom of Information Act requests for more information about burn pits in the areas you were stationed. All may still be for naught...it must fall under presumptive service connection. Gulf War Illness may not fly if you have a diagnosis. GWI is for undiagnosed conditions. The major problem I've been seeing in the SMRs is chronic cough. Obviously, I don't see all the records so I'm sure there are more out there with conditions I haven't seen. I also usually deal with military preparing for separation, not the veteran's community.

See your service organization representative at the VARO near you. Many reps can also be emailed so go to their web sites for more information. The key is documentation. Many veterans want to file claims and expect the VA to develop their claim. Bad idea. Develop your own claim with as much documentation and you can get. It's your claim, not theirs so do as much leg work up front as possible. If this involves adding new conditions to your already existing claim, always talk with your service officer first. You don't want to end up with other conditions being re-evaluated where your rating might be lowered.

Bruce

TheTurtle

Sounds like you just picked up a bad case of the cooties!

ICANHITHIMMAN

No thats pretty funny sounds like something I would say

Coffindancer

That really sucks SwampRat. Hopefully you can find someone with experience to help you figure out how to navigate the system best. I was without any insurance for a while after I got out, and finally went to the doc to get something checked out one time, and was surprised how cheap it was compared to what I expected. If you shop around, and tell them you will just pay cash for a visit, you may find something you can afford. Some places will even let you make payments, if it gets more pricey with chest X-rays, and that type of thing. I know it sucks to have to drop money on stuff like that, but it could suck a lot worse if you don't get better, or if you get worse, when there might be a fix, because you are getting the cold shoulder from the VA clinic. I hope you can get taken care of. Don't let it slide. If you take any pile of trash, and look at the MSDSs for the stuff in it, I guarantee there are plenty of toxic and harmful chemicals let off when it's burned. In fact, you may get in touch with fireman or something, and tell him your situation. That might be odd if you don't know one already, but I would imagine those guys have a real good idea of what smoke like that can do, and the effects, cures, and maybe a lot more. Plus, a fireman probably wouldn't blow you off, since you're a veteran. Those guys are probably pretty knowledgeable about the ins and outs of dealing with those health issues. I know the military, and the VA is different, but if you can compile a bit of information, it may help if you have to start pushing the issue, in order to get taken more seriously. Even if it is widespread, with a lot of people, and is being largely ignored, I think the folks who keep pushing, and do it the right way, have a better chance to get what they want. For you, that really isn't that freaking much, considering. Not trying to go long here, I just hate it for you, and hope to help you figure out a way to get taken care of. Good luck man. Please keep us posted.

normannewguy

My son is going through same type of issues. So far VA isn't doing much. He has also has a weird type of skin rash that they don't know what it is. A Navy Captain Mark Lyles has done a reasearch paper on all the stuff in the sand in Iraq. Was quite an eye opener. If you look at fireman they get cancer at 4 times the rate of the normal population and thats with special equipment (SCBA) to protect them.

heyjowee

Yup. Lived right next to our burn pit for 12 months and cough up yellow stuff everyday; kind of strange for a non smoker. Got prescribed an inhaler and Advair upon return and using daily since.

CAVman

Unfortunately...THAT'S The Reality...

Like with 'Agent Orange'....These Are Not Medical Conditions Civilian Doctors Are Going To Be Familiar With...

VA Hospitals Are Once Again Going To Be Where The DATA BASE For These Conditions Is Built-Up, And...The Information YOU Need...May Come From Another Vet's File!
That Won't Happen In the Private Medical World...Unless And Until Some Military Doctor Or Epidemiologist Starts Publishing Papers On This!
I strongly believe this will not be a quick and easy process to get to the bottom of these conditions, But Another Long, Painful and Protracted Process!


CAVman in WYoming